Non-profits: A Way to Encounter Greatness at the 10th Annual Rock the Leaves

By Emily Underwood

Rock the Leaves is so close you can almost hear the bands tuning up their instruments and the leaves starting to shake! If you’ve never been to Rock the Leaves before, the 10th anniversary is the perfect time to jump in. This year’s festival will be held Aug. 18-20 and features great bands including Grammy award winning Switchfoot, Big Daddy Weave, Plumb, and local favorite Kody Ternes. The three-day festival, held at Minot Auditorium, is better than ever before. Besides the rocking bands, there will also be bounce castles from Minot’s Wheels of Faith, glitter tattoos, a photo booth and several food vendors from around town.

You can enjoy a one-day glimpse of Rock the Leaves, but we encourage everyone to dive into the full three-day experience as each day will bring something exciting and new. Switchfoot plays Thursday, followed by Big Daddy Weave on Friday, and several local favorites, including the popular Kody Ternes, on Saturday. The full lineup is available at iamrtl.com

The legacy of Rock the Leaves began as somewhat of an accident. Founder and CEO, Dan Hansen felt led to host a benefit concert and festival for a Minot teenager who was battling brain cancer. The proceeds from the first Rock the Leaves were donated to the teen’s family to help cover medical cost. The first event went so well that it came back by popular demand the following year, this time benefiting another local family facing medical hardship. Each year Hansen and his wife Brittany have been convicted to continue to give their time, money, and energy to building the festival and now they are celebrating 10 years!

“Our main focus is to make the community better. That’s it.” Hansen simply stated.

Speaking of the growing impact Rock the Leaves has had on Minot. This year, Rock the Leaves is donating to Dakota Hope, a pregnancy crisis center; GMYCA, a local concert organization; and Team Red White and Blue; an organization that aims to connect veterans to the community through physical and social activity.

“The festival exists to not only provide good music but to provide a platform for organizations to share their message,” Hansen said.

This year Rock the Leaves is also partnering with local church, The Pursuit Minot. Keep an eye out for Next Step Coffee at Rock the Leaves where volunteers from the Pursuit will be handing out free cold press coffee and providing a space for people to talk about faith. The partnership will continue with a Rock the Leaves Community Impact Day on August 28th where volunteers from The Pursuit and Rock the Leaves will give back to community through volunteer work.

Rock the leaves is also partnering with Team Red White and Blue to hold the first ever Rock the Red White and Blue Color Run on August 20th at Oak Park. For more information and to sign up, visit iamrtl.com.

Rock the Leaves is a great opportunity for you and your family to hear some bands you love, encounter new music and also learn about some great organizations working hard every day to make Minot a more wonderful place to live.

Tickets are available at Jacobsen Music, Gideon’s Trumpet and iamrtl.com.